Method and means of making panoramic photographs.



. B. N. WHITE. METHOD AND MEANS OF MAKING 'PANORAM IG PHOTOGRAPHS.

I grrmoumu FILED MB. 16.1903. 928,724. Patented Ju1 '20, 1909.

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7,4 IEI I I an /J WITNESSES lNl/E 0R BY 7 9g rromvsys B. 11. WHITE; 1 KETHOD AND MEANS 0F MAKING PANORAMIG PHOTOGRAPHS.

' APP LIQ'LTH m'l'ILED APR: 18.1908.

Patented Jul 20. 1909.

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Ho. assis l To all whom'it may concern:

it knownthat I, EDWARD ll. "Warm, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of idolquin, Republic of Cuba, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Methods and Means for Making Panoramic ithotogra he, of which the following is a full,

clear, an exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to making panoramic. pictures on a web-like "tinction between the views is apparent; to

provide a method in which the pictures producerl will not be distorted and'are much bettel. than the negatives made with the usual lens camera; and to provide means whereby cameras are adapted to produce with equal facility either panoramic or ordinary work.

- dllother olz jeotoithe invention is to providea method in which enlarged positives from panoramic negatives may be produced,

or a succession of photograph or other views representing different positions of the. same or different objects may be so blended together that there'will be no line of distinction between the successive pictures, in order that the entirenegative or picture may have an appearance as if taken by a single ex os'ure'.

urther objects of the invention are to provide simple and efficient means which may he applied to various forms and styles of cameras so as to adapt the camera as ordina rily-constructed andwithout change to take anoramic views .or a succession of pictures m. which theifpi'ctures are so blended as to *15 form a continuous whole, and to so construct the means providedthat it may be quickly removed to adapt the camera for ordinary work.

- With these and other objectsin view the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a art of this s ecification, and will then bepolnted out 1n t 'e claims at the end of the description.

Specification oi. Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16,

Patented July so, 1909.

1908. Serial 2105421355.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form-of camera with my inventlon applied thereto. the camera shown in Fig. 1-. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a dial used to indicate the extent of movement of the camera at each exposure. Fig. 4 is a front view-of the blender or device which causes the-successive views to merge or blend at their point of joining. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the blender shown in Fig. "4. i Fig. 6 is a view showing the first and second exposures, illustrating how one exposure blends -or merges into the other; and Fig. 7 sh ws how a succession of views would ap pear if taken without the blender, and m which each view is entirely distinct from the one next adjacent.

In carrying my invention into efiect I may employ the ordinary camera, and I arrange a evice which 1 term a blender which cuts off a part of each exposure at each end thereof, so as to gradually decrease from a full exposure to nothing at each end, and each picture or exposure is made to overlap the next preceding one at its ends, and the overlapped portion of one exposure is such that it will compensate for the lack of exposure of the next one, so that when two succeeding exposures-have taken place the results of the two exposures at the overlapped portion are completely blended or merged one into the other and the succeeding views or exposures will make a single'and continuous photograph. The picture may be made without moving the camera and lens; or the carriers may he moved to take a succession of views each difis provided whereby the camera may be moved the proper distance so that the succeeding pictures will overlap the desired extent.

The camera 10 is of the ordinary folding type known as the kodak and has the usual finder 1.1, folding casing 12, and movable lens holder 13, and on the back 14, of the camera is the usual red glass 15, through which the marks may be seen which indicate the proper distance the film should be moved at each exposure. On the lens holder and 111 front of the same is a device or blender 16. This blender may be of any desired form or construction and of any suitable material. As shown it is cap-like inform, and has a cylindrical body portion '17 provided with a 2 is a rear view offront disk-like-face 18 in which is arrangedv a slot 19. This slot 19 extends vertically when the blender is in use, and by reason of the. slot, the said blender or device cuts oil gradually the view at both ends of each exposure, or causes themain part of the exposure to exceed that at the ends, and this ex- -posu"remay be one-half. at the ends what it is for the remainder of the exposure, and is due to the use of the blender. If'the blender is not used a sharp line is produced between each exposure, which would be impossible to blend properly, but with the use of the blender the exposure gradually diminishes at each end until it runs into nothing; 1 If for example seven inches of film is used for each exposure the center of each exposure would be full timed, but about one inch on each end is half timed. The second exposure, which overlaps the preceding one to the extent of one inch, corresponds as to the view to the part to be blended in the preceding exposure, and said second exposure also has its ends half timed or gradually cut oil, and its inner part betweenthe ends full-timed, thus the second exposure at the overlapped ends will make the exposure equal to the other part thereby producing a full-timed negativethroughout, as well as to blend one ex osure into the other where they overlap. y this means the photograph is produced without lines and is absolutely continuous.

The blender can be used in the form of a cap or in any other-form or style depending on the instrument on which it isused, but]- the method of application is substantially the same in all instances, and so long as means is provided for cutting off gradually a portion of the vievi atagiven point, or

causing the'exposure atone part to exceed that of the other, and in which'the succeeding exposuresoverlap, such: means is within the scope of my invention.

The form of blender shown can be used either in front of the lens and attached to the lens or camerain any desiredway, or it may be attached or arrangedat the back of the lens, as between the lens-and ground glass,

and the size of the opening in the'blend'er deends on the distance of the opening from the ens. If the opening is small, the. blenderwill be placed nearer the lens, and if larger farther away, for the nearer the opening is'to the lens the more it blends the picture taken. It will thus be seen that the exact distance of the blender from the lens and size of opening or slot therein will vary according to the character of the camera, although the blending may be done at any point oesiredwithin a reasonable distance from the lens.

Where a succession of views is to be taken, it is desirable that the camera be arranged so that the same may be moved a'fixed distance according to the size'of the pictures to be taken. If it is intended to use seven inches of film for each exposure,"in that case the camera would be turned that distance each time. For this purpose I arrange a dial 20 on the head 21 of'the tripod 22which s ports the camera, and-thisdial may be-madbplo of metal, paper, pressed board or of "any suitable material, and is provided Withacentral opening 23, which is .adapted to fit over the usual screw of the tripod tohich the cam era is attached. Thisdial: or indicator-mu. be fastened by screws 24 to thetripod-aea and is provided with 'a' seriesof divisions 25, which-.may be numbered consecutrvelyand v which; are made to correspond. to the distance the film is to be moved after each exposure, and the extent of view to be taken at each exposure. Thev 'lial may be made by meas'ur ing from the center of the screw to the front of the lens, and if this distance is say ten and one-half inches, a circle may be made having a diameter of twenty-one inches and then marking il the circumference of the circle in spaces of seven inches each, and drawin lines to the center. A'dial of any. desire size can then be made,'which may bejust the size of the tripod head .by simply cutting oiiljf the center of the larger dial to the roper'diameter. The camera is provided? with an arrow or pointer 26,- Fig'. 2-, and this pointer will indicate the-exactdist'a'nce the camera is moved each time along the dial. As the camera'is moved for each exposure "the film is correspondingly moved-in the camera in the usual manner, and by. reason of the blender, the successive hotographs or views. will have a part thereoi overlapping the one. next adjacent thereto, and'these overlapped portions will be merged into eachother as,

already explained.

The invention is shownasap lied to what is known as a four-by-five' k0 ak, and in this case the paper on the back of the film may be divided. off into spaces of threeand three-quarter inches in length, and the dial made and indexed accordingly. The only change therefore is in .the use of the dial andthe blender 16, otherwise the camera is of the usual construction.

In Figs. 6 and 7, theefi'ectof .the blender and its use will be seen, and in the former figure two exposures have been made, the overlapping portion frc 327 to '28 being per- 'fectlymer'ged or blended into the adjacent portions while the parts 2 and 30 show the ends of the exposures in u'hichthe' view is gradually cut off; while if the blender'is not used there is a distinctive division between the successive exposures or pictures as shown inFig. 7.

The invention is not confined totaking panoramic negatives, but-the same system of blending may be employed in connection with taking a succession of portraits or views of objects, animals, etc., in different positions and blending the spaces between them; or' 3 l enlarged pbsitive's from panoramic negatives may be made in substantiaily the same w ay.

' In these two cases the dial need not be used.

but only the blender, and-ii enlarged positires are to be made the enlarging camera may-be provided with two roll holders, one small to carry the negative film, and the other larger, to carry'the sensitive paper. The film rolls infront of the lens at a given distance, depending upon theextent of the 5 lens and paper as desired.

enlargement to be made, and the paper moves in the opposite direction and back of the lens, the blender being arranged between the lens and the negative, or between the If the enlargement is to be twice. the original size and the film moved seven ihches'for each exposure, the paper would then be moved fourteen inches for each exposure.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a sim le and efficient method is provided whereby any one can take'panoramic photographs without changing the camera as ordinarily made; that the camera is simple and effective in use, and produces panoraini'c views equal to the best; that the camera-may be used for panoramic work either on the same film or on difierent films without any additional trouble, that by the g method set forth a succession of views of the same or diflerent objects may be made in succession and blended so as to be contin none, and that enlarged photographs may be readily madeffrom negatives on which there is a succession of views.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters -Patent: f

1. In panoramic photography, the method 40 which consists in making a succession of ex-,

posures on asensitized body while the latter and the ex osure producing means are stationary an causing the exposures to "overlap, and blending the overlapped-portions whereby the series will be continuous.v

2; In photography, the method which consists in making a succession of independent exposures on a sensitized body while the latter is stationary and causing the expos'ures to overlap at their ends at the time of exposure and simultaneously blending the overlapped portions as the exposures are made.

,5 consists in producing a succession of pietures on a sensitized. body while the latter and' the picture producing means are stationary, an'd causing the adjacent pictures to overlap and the overlapped portionst'o so blend as, the (pictures are produced whereby the lines of stinction between the successiv'e pictures are eliminated 4. In photography, the method which I consists in producing a-succession of pic- {5 tures on a sensitized body while the latter is photography, the method which stationary, and causing the pictures to seeriapxlor a small part of their length and the overlapped portions to blend as the pictures are produced whereby the lines of distinction between the successive pictures are elimi s nated. i g

5. in photography, the method which consists in producing a plurality of pictures in succession on a sensitized body while the latter and the picture producing means are stationary, and causing, the adj acentpictures to overlap and the overlapped portions to blend as the pictures are produced whereby the lines of distinction between the successive pictures are eliminated.

6. In photography, the method which con sists in producing a plurality of exposures in succession and. intermittently on a sensitized body while the latter and the exposure pro ducing means are stationary and causing each exposure to overlap the one next adjacent, and blending the overlapped portions as the exposures are made 7, In photography, the method which-consists in producing plurality of independent exposures in succession on a sensitized body while the latter and exposure producing means are stationary, and causing apart of each exposureto overlap the onemext sd jacent.

8. In panoramic photography, the method which consists in making .a plurality of independent exposures on a stationary sensi tized bodyeach ofwhich haszone part exposed to a. less degree than the other and causing the next exposure to compensate for the lack of exposure of. a part of the one preceding.

9. In panoramic photography, the method I which-consists in making a succession of distinct and independent exposures, on a stationary sensitized body causing the cxpo sures to overlap those a'djacentthereto to a less extent than the view ltsclf, and blending the views at their overlapped portions by exposing the overlapped portionsjto a less degree than the remainder whereby the succession of pictures will forrri' a continuous I Whole. 105111. photography, the method which consists in moving a sensitized body intermittently and producing a succession of in-' ing a lens of a device cutting off a art of the view to be taken so, as to gradual v diminish 4 in intensity at the edges only. of the view.

; The combination with a camera hava lens of'a device having a-vertical. slot cutting off a asto gradua end only. I v 16; As an article of.manufacti1re,a device adapted to fit over the lens of a. camera and having slot extending vertically acrossthe same to cut off a part of the view to radually diminishin intensity at its ends orn -17. As an article of manufacture; a den" adapted to be applied to a camera and h means to cut of? a part of the View t made', and to cause a'relatively large the'Viewtd be exposed to a greater er than'the other.

11 8. an article of manufacture, a like device ada ted to be applied to a an i a sl dt extending across one'end of the same to cut 05 a part of the view and to ly. diminish in intensity at its 1part of the-view-to be taken so' Won aw;

- I m m Xposea relatively large partiof the view to be produced to a greaterextent than the other. I i.

19. The combination. Witha camera and means for rotatably supporting the same, of a dial arrangedto indicate various positions oflthe camera, and a blender adapted to gradually cut off a relatively small part of 40 tlieview to be taken.

, 20. The combination with a camera and means for rotatably supporting the same, of a graduated dial arranged toindicate various positiens of the camera, and a blender fitting mm? the lensand adapted to gradually cut relatively small part of the view to be 1. Li. The eombination With a camera and is for rotatably supporting the same, of a his having a plurality of divisions and arrangeii'to indicate various positions of the camera, and a blender having a slot across git)? fee and adapted to gradually cut off a part view to be taken so as to expose a part of the view to a greater .Y en the remainder. J specification signed and witnessed ri'th day of April A D. 1908.

EDWARD N. WHITE.

witnesses 1. NEmiAUsER, JOAQUIN PnLLAno. 

